A Gretna man was arrested after he allegedly identified himself as a police officer during an angry traffic confrontation. James Richthofen Jr., 48, was booked with impersonating a city official and simple battery, according to an arrest report.

The confrontation occurred Sunday at the intersection of Gretna Boulevard and Hero Drive. Richthofen was westbound on Gretna Boulevard attempting to make a left turn onto Hero. An unidentified driver, northbound on Hero Drive, was stopped at the Gretna Boulevard intersection, the report said.

It's unclear what set off Richthofen, but he pulled onto Hero alongside the woman's vehicle and began yelling and cursing at her, the arrest report said. Richthofen accused the other driver of almost hitting his vehicle.

Because her window didn't work, the woman opened her car door to talk to Richthofen. He allegedly grabbed her arm and told her, "I'm the police, and you need to go to jail," the arrest report said.

The woman asked to see Richthofen's identification, but he didn't provide any. A Gretna police officer who responded to the incident asked Richthofen if he was a police officer. Richthofen said, "Yes," according to the report. But he went on to confess that he was actually a private investigator. The officer noted that he did not have a commission or an identification card from a law enforcement agency.

Richthofen, of 3240 Hero Drive, Gretna, was arrested and booked Monday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. He was released the same day on a $200 bond.